“It’s a 3 alarm fire!” I woke up yelling a week ago, Tuesday morning, at 3:33 AM. It freaked me out. I sensed no present danger, so I proceeded to do what one does when they wake up in the middle of the night, while I asked God, “Why did I yell that?” I got no impressions as to why, and thought perhaps it meant things were really bad with the Corona Virus and I should be praying more. I did, and then went back to bed.
I was woken up at 9:00 AM to the deep rumble of engines, and to loud voices of men. It scared me. It took me a moment, or two, to realize my neighbor’s house was on fire and there were at least 6 fire trucks out front. Only the man of the house was home at the time, and he had just fallen to sleep when the smoke detector saved his life. He works the evening shift and gets home late.
When I went outside I learned my neighbors were okay, but the inside of the house had become disguised by blackness, and there was extensive damage to things that make up life, like family photos that once hung on the wall.
This morning it hit me that our lives can be disguised by blackness, evil, as well, but it seems to be subtle, over time, and not in a flash of flames. In other words, you change from who you used to be, but you don’t see it happening. I know it has happened to me.
Satan loves being deceitful!
My neighbours have taken a tighter hold of God’s hand today, as He walks with them through this time of restoration. I have a feeling God will use this opportunity to do some restoration work on their souls as well. When I was next door examining the damage up close, I saw a bright yellow, butterfly rise up out of the smoldering debris that was once bedroom furniture. It got my attention, beautiful life rising up out of what looks to be ruin.
Psalms 23:2-3 (The Passion Translation)
2 He offers a resting place for me in his luxurious love.
His tracks take me to an oasis of peace, the quiet brook of bliss.
3 That’s where he restores and revives my life.
He opens before me pathways to God’s pleasure
and leads me along in his footsteps of righteousness
so that I can bring honor to his name.
God has had to restore life, real life, to me as well. Looking back, there have been times when I have drifted from God’s plans, and purposes for me, but God has, in a tender way, restored me, brought life back. He can, and wants to do this for you as well. It doesn’t matter what you have done, said, or how far you have gone off track. God loves you, and if you will ask for it, forgive you as well. If you took a good, long, honest look in the mirror you might see the years of blackness on you. God says, “come here, I can wipe that off, and restore you my child to be who I destined you to be. It’s my business, and I’m good at it.”
Copyright © 2020 Mark Brady. All rights reserved.
My neighbor, across the street, is taking down his own tree, as you can see in the photo. I looked out the window and commented, “That tree looks naked.” I laughed, but then realized it will no longer serve its purpose. The tree’s beauty will no longer be admired. The shade, the tree once provided, the comfort, will no longer be there.
I have a theory that human spirits are in heaven, with God, and then, the moment a child is conceived a human spirit is installed. It’s just a thought, okay? One reason I believe this is I was in a grocery store and I saw a small child in their mother’s arms. When the child saw me I smiled, and without hesitation the child tried to leap out of the arms of their mother into mine. The child’s spirit wanted to be reunited with God’s Spirit, which dwells in me.
When I was four years old I was able to show people how to get from our house to JCPenny. I didn’t know the street names, but I knew when to get off the highway, and when to turn and which way. This may be more important; I knew how to get back home.
“YOU CAN’T HANDLE THE TRUTH!” A famous line from the movie A Few Good Men, yelled at Tom Cruise by the one and only Jack Nicholson. Jack’s character thought his actions, which wound up killing a man, were right, because of the location of where they were serving in the military. He thought his truth was real.
You go to a friend’s house and they serve a wonderful dinner. You go on and on over the entree and you even ask for the recipe so you can imitate it, or duplicate it at home. Then the day comes when you make the item, and you have great anticipation of it melting in your mouth the way it did when you first tried it, but it doesn’t. You go over the recipe line by line and you swear to yourself you followed it 100 percent. Disappointment sets in, perhaps even anger.
Is your heart a hotel for God? Let’s face it, some let God check in, but then tell him when check out time is. Worse, others may even post a “No Vacancy” sign.
In the last blog post I mentioned a friend living overseas who had not found a church yet where he is getting a steady diet of spiritual nutrition. Not that he hasn’t tried.
Just before a car’s engine runs out of gas it shakes violently, sputters, and knocks hard. It is then, the driver’s stomach does the same thing. Unless you are driving a very old clunker there is a light on the dash that does its best to tell you when you are running out of and in need of filling up again.
I was running late for church one Saturday evening, but I was extremely hungry and thought I could concentrate on the message better if I ate dinner before I got there. That sounds like solid spirituality to me. So I drove quickly to one of my favorite fast food restaurants, grabbed my order from the drive through window and took off.
brady, mark a. 